The Falcon Zone Flyer

Hello Falcon Zone -

This Week's Newsletter Highlights

💫💫💫 Learn more about Amanda Woodard, a 7th Grade Social Studies Teacher at Falcon Middle School, and Seann O'Connor, Principal at Falcon High School, and their nominations for the National Modern Learning Conference 💫💫💫

💓Here is last Friday's edition of Fall in Love with Falcon Friday Newsletter (linked HERE). This special newsletter is for anyone interested in more information on our Falcon Zone Schools, particularly FMS and FHS.

Each week the newsletter will contain a Falcon Zone Staff testimonial, answers to questions submitted by parents and school highlights and information submitted by FMS and FHS staff members.

Previous newsletters will be archived HERE for reference.

In Partnership ~

Cari Muresan

FZ Community Liaison

Over the next several weeks, be watching this section for features on our Falcon Zone finalists! Each of these awesome educators have been selected as National Finalists for the National Modern Learning Conference, taking place this coming February. As a finalist, they had to submit a 2-minute video summarizing all that they do to impact teaching and learning in their classrooms and schools.

This week, we feature Amanda Woodard, a 7th Grade Social Studies Teacher at Falcon Middle School, and Seann O'Connor, Principal at Falcon High School.

Ms. Woodard's classroom is a place where students feel connected to all of the learning processes and classroom community. She has planned lessons and activities that bring our WINGS Portrait of a Graduate to life and helps students engage with their key strengths. Learning is at the forefront as students are challenged to master their academic standards at a high level of rigor. Ms. Woodard is a finalist for the 6th through 8th Grade Personalized Learning Classroom of the Year!

At Falcon High, Mr. O'Connor has brought a high level of energy and intentionality to transform the culture at FHS. Leading change is always a challenging endeavor, and Mr. O'Connor is navigating this positively. He builds strong relationships and establishes high expectations with students, staff, and community so that all can elevate to a higher level of excellence. Mr. O'Connor is a finalist for the Change Management Principal of the Year!

We wish both of them the best as finalists during the Modern Learning Conference next month!

Let's take a step inside Ms. Woodard's Classroom and see Mr. O'Connor's leadership in action...

(see videos below)

Join the Falcon Zone for a fun evening of music, dancing, food trucks, vendors, a photo booth, activities for the kids and so much more!

Bring in your gently used or new shoes and help fundraise for the Falcon Zone Community Closet and Pantry!

Shoes will be donated to Funds2Orgs and we will get paid to collect gently worn, used and new shoes in a creative, community-friendly fundraiser!

What happens to the shoes?

A shoe drive fundraiser goes beyond raising money for your cause and community. After your shoes are picked up, they’re sent to developing countries to create job opportunities.

It’s estimated 300 million people don’t own shoes. Shoe drive fundraisers help provide inventory to over 4,000 micro-entrepreneurs who sell the shoes to support their families. In turn, they help themselves out of poverty with a hand up, not a handout.

Drop Boxes will be located at all 6 Falcon Zone schools, JAKs Brewing, The State Bank and the D49 Transportation Center.

Last week, our entire elementary school community is kicked off a beloved tradition: our annual all-school book club, One Zone, One Book!

This week families should read Chapters 41-54.

Check out the One Zone One Book website for Chapter Audio recordings and book

activities!

Shannon Moyer, Librarian at WHES, helps to support the One Zone One Book Family Literacy Project. She shared some of her thoughts about why she loves the opportunity to read a book as a whole school community.

What do you enjoy about the One Zone One Book Literacy Project?

I enjoy the sense of community that the OZOB Literacy project brings to WHES. Book reveal day brings about excitement with the suspense and our mascot making it even more fun when the books are delivered. I get to share the excitement with all students when they come to the Library everyday all day! So fun!

How do you see One Zone One Book supporting Literacy with students?

OZOB supports student literacy by making that home to school connection. I have the good fortune of seeing all our students. Each day and each class I start our Library time with The Wild Robot talk. I love asking who read WITH their family last night? It is an overwhelming "I did!" response. My focus has been on the characters and the setting and the students are really connecting with this story which is helping develop, maintain, and grow student literacy. Having these discussions school wide is so rewarding!

How does having the whole school read the same book build community within MRES?

WHES has a great sense of community and the OZOB project gives all students the opportunity to feel that they belong to something bigger than just what is happening in their class. For example, primary students realize they have something in common with the "big kids" and that helps them feel connected. It's a great feeling...feeling connected :)

Mrs. Lougee's Physics class worked to measure the velocity of a marble in a science lab activity last week. Students worked together to make predictions then capture the marble in slow motion as it shot out of the launcher. Mrs. Lougee and the rest of the science department at FHS offers their students many opportunities for labs and hands on learning.

Last Friday Falcon High School Theatre participated in the Pikes Peak Region Invitational One Act Competition for the first time. They took third place out of eight participating high schools! Way to go Falcons!

Ms. Zinicola uses Data Notebooks with her 7th grade students and shared how and why she uses them as a tool to help drive student growth.

My Student Data Notebooks are primarily used as the place where students complete their bellwork and unit goal setting activity. In addition, we also have a page for their student learner profile which we spend time discussing throughout the year. The daily bellwork question is a formative assessment that relates to the summative assessment and/or the prior day's learning. This is a way for me to identify if reteaching is necessary. Moreover, I intentionally tried to minimize the amount of sections and write all content in student friendly language. This helps to make the notebook accessible and easy to navigate.

In the Falcon Zone we pride ourselves on having the most incredible staff! We want to give our community a chance to recognize those people that make a difference in our schools and for our students every day! Please let us know who is making a positive impact for your student. Let us know who has gone above and beyond to enhance your experience in our zone. Let us know who is doing an outstanding job!

Every staff member that is recognized will receive a note of recognition and a shoutout in our community newsletter. Staff members include not only teachers but secretaries, administrators, custodial & kitchen staff, paras, etc.

We want to know who is making a difference! Thank you for taking the time to fill out this quick form!

Liz James (WHES) - We want to give a shout out to Liz James! She is leading the way in showing Tornado spirit and pride. Recently, she helped launch our One Zone, One Book Family Literacy Project. We are so thankful in the many ways she volunteers for our school. Our mascot, Thunderbolt, especially thanks her for volunteering at most Tornado celebrations. Thank you Liz!

Mrs. Pecic (BRES) - Mrs. Pecic is truly an outstanding leader in the Falcon Zone. She has a huge heart and puts students first. Mrs. Pecic is motivating, supportive, and relentless at helping students be successful and the best they can be. Mrs. Pecic's love and support is contagious, as she has been a positive impact here at WHES too. We greatly appreciate her collaborative nature as schools work together to meet the needs of all learners. Thank you, Mrs. Pecic!

Brandy Sanford (FHS) - Brandy took time out of her busy schedule to write to one of my Gifted Students, a first-grader, and answer questions they had about the lungs. She not only answered their questions but also included some really interesting facts that they could use in their project on the lungs. Thanks for going above and beyond, Brandy!

2/13 - Board of Education Meeting featuring the Falcon Zone @ BRES

2/14 - 3 Hour Early Release and Parent/Teacher Conferences

2/17 - President's Day, NO SCHOOL

2/18 - D49 DAAC @ 6

2/20 - FZ Community Closet & Pantry Open @3:45

2/24 - Engage49 LIVE, Safety & Security @ 5

2/26 - D49 BOE Work Session @ 6

2/27 - MRES PTA Meeting @ 4

Quarter 4 SAC - April 17 @ Meridian Ranch Elementary